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Simon Dancer
Director | IED
Director | AMION Consulting
Simon is a Director at AMION Consulting, and has over 25 years’ experience in economic development, housing and regeneration. He is a member of the Society of Professional Economists, Royal Economics Society, and Institute of Economic Development.
Prior to joining AMION, Simon worked in Whitehall for 16 years at the Homes & Communities Agency (now Homes England), managing a team of specialised economists. Simon has helped produce several economic development policy guidance notes that have become “industry standards”. These include the ground-breaking Employment Densities Guide – applied across the United Kingdom – to calculate job capacity within built development. There is also the pioneering Additionality Guide, which is used around the world to help public sector agencies identify the real effect of government intervention. This Guide led Simon presenting to a global academic audience at the World Bank in Paris, France. Similarly, Simon initiated the Endowments Best Practice Note – now in its 4th edition – which underpins endowment policy across the country for those assets which cannot be disposed of in the open market.
Some of Simon’s other career highlights include housing policy advice for the South Korean government, advising a former Prime Minister’s household, consultee for updates of the Green Book (whilst in Whitehall) and economic adviser for the West Midlands Combined Authority for over four years. Simon was also instrumental with AMION helping to secure £459 million of Levelling Up Fund grant across the country, from the three rounds of competitive bidding. Back to the present day, Simon is a business case adviser for Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, working on “Green Book-compliant” submissions to MHCLG and HMT.
Outside work, Simon is a season ticketholder at Oxford United, along with his two children. He is also a Foundation Governor at an Oxfordshire primary school, and a member of his village parochial church council.